Niall Collins: My actions around Limerick property sale were 'legally correct at all times'
Chaney/collins Property Limerick, To Wife, O’connor, Expressed Picture: Land The Collins’ Agreeing Sell To Council Had A The Eimear Gareth In Niall Interest Prior Patrickswell, Buying In
Junior Minister for Higher Education Niall Collins has said that he is "in absolutely no doubt" that his actions around the sale of the site were "legally correct at all times".
Mr Collins said that there had been "various expressions of interest" in the site. He said that there was no vote taken or disagreement on the disposal of the site. He said that the disposal of the site is a reserved legal function of the full council and seven Bruff councillors could not do so themselves.
Mr Collins had been on the Limerick County Council in 2007 when the Bruff local area committee agreed to put the land up for sale. Mr Collins' wife Eimear O'Connor had expressed an interest in purchasing the site in December 2006 but the full sale was not voted on until September 2008.
Ms O'Connor paid €148,000 for the site, which had received planning permission for the building of a medical centre, but is currently planned to hold five homes which it is proposed will be sold to the council.
Mr Collins told the Dáil on Thursday that the site received "a number of offers". He said that the sale of the site was agreed in September 2007, four months after he was elected to the Dáil.
Mr Collins said it was "clear" that the property went up for sale on the open market. He said that "anyone" could have bid on the site but his wife's offer was the highest. He said that the sale was "all done in full transparency".
The Limerick County TD said that his wife submitted a planning permission application in December 2007 for a medical centre with an office which was granted, but the site was not sold formally until September 2008.
"For the record, I was not a member of the council in September 2008, having been elected to the Dáil in May 2007.
"In hindsight, given the focus and perception which has arisen, it would have been better if I had not taken part in the local area committee meeting. However, it was my understanding and remains the same today, that I was not participating in a discussion or a decision that in any way contravenes the 2001 Local Government Act. No law was broken.
"I did not participate in any decision that authorised the sale of this land. This could only be done by the full county council in accordance with the statutory process. This occurred more than 18 months later, when I was no longer a member of Limerick County Council."
Tánaiste Micheál Martin has been strongly defensive of Mr Collins this afternoon, telling Leaders' Questions that the story, which was first reported by , is a "political campaign".
“I don’t think this House should be a slave or should be facilitating political campaigns organised by a platform,” he said.
“I don’t see as an independent media platform at all. Paddy Cosgrave does, Paddy Cosgrave is a backer, Chay Bowes is a founding member of .”
He said the Russian ambassador to Ireland is "full of praise" for Mr Bowes. He said that the news website, whose reporting has led to the resignations of junior ministers Robert Troy and Damien English is “a political organisation, attacking Government and wanting to undermine confidence in Government”.
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